


Message in a Bottle

by acesdesire



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Cute, Family, Fluff and Hurt/Comfort, Implied Relationships, M/M, Zine: Waves of Wonder (Final Fantasy XV)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-11
Updated: 2021-02-11
Packaged: 2021-03-17 18:00:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,888
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29354607
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/acesdesire/pseuds/acesdesire
Summary: “It’s weird, isn’t it?” Prompto hummed, eyes wandering back to the horizon, the vibrant yellow sun only half-visible now against the water, the sky behind it streaked with pinks and oranges. “Knowing we just left home, and now we have no home to go back to?”“Maybe you do. Somewhere out there,” Noct said, with a quick nod toward Prompto’s wrist, as if he’d known exactly where Prompto’s mind would naturally wander. Of course, he knew; he always did.(Written for the Waves of Wonder/Ocean Prompto Zine 2020)
Relationships: Prompto Argentum & Noctis Lucis Caelum, Prompto Argentum/Noctis Lucis Caelum
Comments: 4
Kudos: 39
Collections: Waves of Wonder- Prompto Ocean Themed Zine 2020





	Message in a Bottle

**Author's Note:**

> It was such a pleasure to be a part of the Waves of Wonder fanzine! This was actually the first fanzine I've ever participated in, and I am so happy that I got to write this lovely little piece about sweet little Prompto. I am really excited to have been a part of this project. I hope you enjoy my contribution!

While Prompto had always figured there was a lot he’d never seen, growing up in Insomnia, it had never occurred to him that something as simple as a beach could be on that list, nor that it could be so spectacular. While Ignis and Gladio spent the afternoon in the nearby caravan with Noctis—devising a plan of action after confirming that their beloved home was in ruins—Prompto puttered around the beach.

He knew that Noct would have welcomed him into the Crownsguard meeting with open arms, but Prompto still found it hard to consider himself one of those precious guardians to the Lucian prince. Besides, Noct had looked like he was barely holding himself together, and if he’d stayed... Well, whatever support Prompto would have given him probably would have encouraged tears, and he knew Noct would prefer not to cry in front of the others.

Prompto didn’t feel slighted, though. Not really. He knew the best place for him right now was on the beach, with the bright golden sun warming his cheeks, and the gentle breeze tousling his hair and nearby palm trees. With his scuffed, brown combat boots in hand, he padded barefoot across the sand, its grainy texture so foreign to him as it sifted through his toes and warmed the bottoms of his feet. He could get used to this, he thought, besides the fact that he would burn to a crisp if he didn’t reapply his sunscreen upon the hour.

His walk was peaceful as he wandered a little further from the shore, just enough for the incoming waves to gently wrap around his ankles like warm bath water before retreating. He took his time scanning the nearby sand for trinkets, as he could remember being fascinated by the beach and ocean when he’d studied it in school. There was one book in particular that he used to read over and over again as a child, his young mind blown by the various items that could wash ashore, not to mention the amount of unfound treasures that could still be buried deep within the sea.

Galdin’s tiny treasures shimmered in the sunlight, leading Prompto to a couple of lost Gil, a Fossil Shell, and a beautiful Star Shell that he would be sure to show Noct later. With some coloured thread, he wondered if he might be able to turn it into a bracelet. Noct would probably call him a dork for making such a thing, and then wear it endlessly without shame. Prompto smiled at the thought.

Once his pants pockets had grown heavy with loot, he stopped by the kiosk by the boardwalk and bought himself aroot beer before heading to the fishing dock to take a load off. He sipped leisurely at his drink, watching the setting sun in silence, and found himself wondering what lay beyond the vast ocean ahead. If he’d seen so much already since leaving Insomnia, who knew how much was out there. Tenebrae, Accordo, Niflheim...

Prompto drank several mouthfuls of soda in a row, feeling the bubbling liquid sting his throat a little as it went down, but it still wasn’t enough to distract him from thinking about Niflheim. From what he’d been told, it was the place he’d come from, the place that quite possibly could have been his home if he hadn’t been brought to Lucis. He couldn’t imagine ever trading his current life with Noct and the gang for anything, but when he thought about the fact that he might have a family somewhere out there on a distant shore... He couldn’t help but feel a little curious, even a little sad.

Before long, he emptied his bottle and stared down at it, thumb brushing over the label. What did that book from his childhood say about messages in a bottle? Those messages used to be sent as signs of distress, right? He did feel a bit lost. Did that count?

Prompto rubbed his finger a little harder over the wrapper now, making the edge peel up, and he tore it away from the bottle. He flipped it around to reveal the blank back. Grabbing a pen from the large pocket in his grey trousers—which Ignis had always encouraged him and Noctis to carry in case a signature was in order—he began to write.

_Home sweet home. Are you out there somewhere?_

He shook his head as he finished, feeling a little silly for even daring to dream. With a sigh, he rolled the paper up quickly and stuffed the message inside. He screwed the top back onto the bottle and set it down on the dock beside him. Once he was done here, he’d just recycle the stupid thing.

Noctis found him not long after, his feet dangling off the edge of the wharf, still watching the sunset. Prompto looked up when he felt his friend beside him, and Noct gave a weak smile.

“Okay if I sit down?”

“‘Course,” Prompto warmly agreed. He watched with slight worry as the prince sat down, and he tried to analyze his bittersweet expression. It didn’t look like there were any tear-stains on his white cheeks, so at least that was a good sign.

“You doin’ okay?”

“Yeah,” Noct breathed, following Prompto’s lead and ditching his shoes and socks to let his feet soak in the water below. The silence between them was long, but not uncomfortable.

“It’s weird, isn’t it?” Prompto hummed, eyes wandering back to the horizon, the vibrant yellow sun only half-visible now against the water, the sky behind it streaked with pinks and oranges. “Knowing we just left home, and now we have no home to go back to?”

“Maybe _you_ do. Somewhere out there,” Noct said, with a quick nod toward Prompto’s wrist, as if he’d known exactly where Prompto’s mind would naturally wander. Of course, he knew; he always did.

Prompto glanced down at his branded skin, wide-eyed with the unease of having his mark mentioned in public like this, but he knew there wasn’t anyone else close enough to see the tattoo just barely concealed beneath his armband. No one was even close enough to overhear their conversation.

He swallowed hard as he was dragged back into his thoughts from earlier. As much as he wanted to believe he had a set of loving, biological parents somewhere out there, he wasn’t about to get his hopes up, nor was he about to leave the prince’s side when he had a duty to protect him.

“Nah,” Prompto said, shaking his head, and pushing forth an amused smile. With his now free hand, he caressed his marred wrist. “Home is wherever _you_ are, dude.”

Noctis scoffed.

“Flattery? Really?” he smirked. Still, Prompto’s statement made him inch just a little closer to him, and remain in a few moments of pensive silence.

“Seriously, though. I’m okay when I’m with you. You were there when I really needed someone, and that’s all that matters. Besides, even if I did have parents out there, they probably couldn’t do much for me now,” Prompto said, softly.

“Because you’re an adult? Because they missed watching you grow up?”

“Mm-hmm,” Prompto hummed, but his gaze flew immediately toward Noctis, the peaceful expression on his face tensing a little. “But honestly, it doesn’t matter. Like I said, my home is wherever you are.”

Noctis smiled warmly, admiring Prompto’s timid face as it angled back toward the ocean. Noctis put a hand down to rest against the dock, only to have it bump against the soda bottle that Prompto had left there. Noct picked it up and eyed it curiously, tilting his head as he tried to analyze whatever it was Prompto had stuffed inside.

“What’s this?”

“Message in a bottle.” Prompto was grateful when Noctis didn’t pry any more than that. Of course, maybe the way he was absentmindedly rubbing his barcode again gave away the words he wasn’t saying. If Noctis had figured out the intended receivers of that message, he chose not to comment on it. Instead, he looked to Prompto with a gentle expression.

“You don’t... have any more paper with you, do you?”

“Huh? No, why?”

“I’ll be right back, ‘kay?”

Prompto watched with a tiny frown as Noctis wandered barefoot over to the kiosk. He fidgeted on the dock, trying his best to see what Noct was doing there, but he was too far away to tell. Eventually, Noct turned and left the shop with a smile, another soda bottle in hand. He sat down again once he reached Prompto, who continued to frown quizzically at him.

“Are you gonna tell me, or do I have to start guessing?”

“What makes you think I’m not just thirsty? It’s still pretty warm out here,” Noct tested, voice teasing.

Prompto didn’t need to speculate any further on Noctis’ intentions as the prince peeled the paper wrapping off of his own soda bottle. When Noct turned to him with eyes that sought some sort of permission, Prompto simply rolled his eyes and handed over the pen he’d been using earlier. Noct grinned and gave him a quiet word of thanks.

Prompto leaned over to watch as Noctis wrote his message on the back of the wrapper, and was stunned to see his own words staring back at him.

_Home is wherever you are._

“Now the bottle?” Noct requested, with an open palm. Prompto hesitantly handed over his own bottle, and Noctis rolled up his paper before sticking it inside with Prompto’s message. Making sure the cap was on tight, he pulled his arm back before he hauled the bottle out into the ocean.

“Wha?! What was that for?!” Prompto gaped, clearly offended by the way Noctis had so mercilessly polluted the ocean.

“What?” Noctis shrugged, innocently.

“I wasn’t actually planning on _sending_ that! ‘ _Home sweet home. Are you out there somewhere?’_ That was the lamest thing I’ve ever written, and besides, like I said—”

“’ _Home is wherever you are_ ’, right?” Noct smirked, and Prompto pouted, folding his arms as he realized that Noctis had completed him once again, without even having to try.

The message Noct had written had been the perfect response to his own, an answer to his desperate cry, and he realized for the second time that day that he _was_ where he belonged. Right here. Prompto wished he was as good at figuring out the prince as the prince was with him.

“It was a good message. And someone else should have the privilege of hearing Prompto Argentum’s wisdom. I can’t keep it _all_ to myself,” Noct said, voice playful, but warm as he turned his gaze to meet Prompto’s.

He wore a small smile, but it wasn’t the kind that made Prompto think he was joking. No, he’d meant every word he’d said, and Prompto—flabbergasted as he was—finally allowed his wide-eyed expression to relax and mirror Noctis’ smile.

“Now, come ‘ere. It’s been a hard day,” Noct sighed, waving a hand to coax Prompto closer.

Prompto obliged, and scooted in a bit closer to Noctis. Heads tilted to rest together as they stared out at the last glimpse of sunshine, and they settled into a peaceful silence, content in knowing that home didn’t lie across any ocean; home was with each other.


End file.
